Academic standards and the assessment of student learning: Some current issues in Australian higher education

Abstract

Abstract This paper reports a recent national study by the Centre for the Study of Higher Education into contemporary practices in student assessment in Australian higher education and the issues of quality assurance facing the sector in the light of public speculation and concern about academic standards. A major issue emerging from the project is the importance of defining the relationships between approaches to student assessment and grading, quality assurance and academic standards. The paper discusses the issues surrounding academic standards in Australia in the context of the new national framework for higher education quality assurance and the role of the Australian Universities Quality Agency (AUQA).